Locomotive Class

Class 58 (Type 5)

Class 58 (Type 5) Class: Class 58 (Type 5)
Type: Diesel-Electric
Designer: British Rail
Weight: 129 tons
Purpose: Heavy Freight

Information: Development of second generation diesels came slowly to British Railways. But by the mid to late 1970’s the need for more powerful and specialised motive power was so great that BREL produced the Class 58 while production of earlier 56’s was still in progress, being first introduced in December 1982.

Details: Class 58, appropriately nicknamed “Bones” were a revolutionary no-frills design heavy freight locomotive. In the mid-1970’s BREL produced a Class 56 design for similar purpose. Before production of the 56’s was completed a new modular bare-bone design, resulting in the Class 58 was adopted. Specifications for the Class 58 were similar in all respects to the 56’s, however, the premise of the 58 was to produce a low cost machine with ease of maintenance, hence external walk-ways and removable side panels were employed. Intentions to produce locomotives for export never materialised, although in later years many of the locomotives were sold for service in Continental Europe. Between 1982 and 1987 a total of 50 locomotives were assembled at Doncaster Locomotive Works in conjunction with Brush Electric.
Specialised Merry-Go-Round (MGR) freight traffic was the intended purpose of the locomotive. As such, provision was not made for passenger heating equipment. By 1989 the entire class was allocated to Toton Power Station.
Being introduced in the early 1980’s, the 58’s were the first new locomotives to enter traffic in the newly applied smart Sectorisation Grey livery with large BR arrow insignias,red sole bars, and yellow cabs. Further Sector liveries were applied by British Railways and later Private Owners.
As with the 56’s, a large number of the class fell into EWS ownership. EWS was wholly owned by American interests and as such deemed the 56’s and 58’s both under-powered and antiquated quickly replacing the hard used locomotives with modern General Motors Class 65 and 66 designs. By 2001 the entire class was relegated storage status. As indicated earlier, this was not the end of the line for the Class 58. As they were far from life-expired, many found work with new owners in France, Spain, and Holland. In 2010 five units were scrapped and one, 58 016 set aside for preservation; while at the same time a second unit was purchased for spares. Although none are likely to see active service in Britain again, 36 remain active in Europe as of the end of 2010.

John Faulkner

Class 58 (Type 5) Releases (20)

MODEL NO. LIVERY
Class 58 Co-Co Diesel Electric Locomotive
Released: 1996
58050 Mainline Blue
Class 58 Co-Co Diesel Locomotive
Released: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
58044 B.R. Railfreight 2-Tone Grey
Class 58 Co-Co Freight Locomotive
Released: 1982
58001 B.R. Railfreight
Class 58 Co-Co Freight Locomotive
Released: 1983
58007 B.R. Railfreight
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Released: 1997 1998
58023 Mainline Blue
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Released: 1997 1998
58033 EWS Maroon & Yellow
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Released: 1999 2000
58030 EWS Maroon & Yellow
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Released: 2000 2002
58047 EWS Maroon & Yellow
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Released: 1999 2000
58039 EWS Maroon & Yellow
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Daw Mill Colliery & Ironbridge Power Station (Multiple Working) (Weathered)
Released: 2003 2004 2005 2006
58002 58005 Mainline Blue
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Railfreight
Released: 1994
58048 B.R. Railfreight
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Workshop Depot (Multiple Working) (Weathered)
Released: 2004 2005
58024 58037 EWS Maroon & Yellow
Class 58 Diesel Freight Locomotive
Released: 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
58001 B.R. Railfreight
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive
Released: 1988 1989
58050 B.R. Railfreight 2-Tone Grey
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive
Released: 2003 2004 2005
58033 EWS Maroon & Yellow
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive (Weathered)
Released: 2002
58050 B.R. Railfreight 2-Tone Grey
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Bassetlaw
Released: 1988 1989
58034 B.R. Railfreight
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Manton Coillery (Weathered)
Released: 2004 2005 2006
58047 B.R. Railfreight 2-Tone Grey
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Ratcliff Power Station (Weathered)
Released: 2003 2004
58041 B.R. Railfreight 2-Tone Grey
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Thoresby Colliery
Released: 2003 2004 2005
58046 B.R. Railfreight 2-Tone Grey

Class 58 (Type 5) Images (20)

Class 58 Co-Co Diesel Electric Locomotive
Class 58 Co-Co Diesel Electric Locomotive 58050

Class 58 Co-Co Diesel Locomotive
Class 58 Co-Co Diesel Locomotive 58044

Class 58 Co-Co Freight Locomotive
Class 58 Co-Co Freight Locomotive 58001

Class 58 Co-Co Freight Locomotive
Class 58 Co-Co Freight Locomotive 58007

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive 58023

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive 58033

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive 58030

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive 58047

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive 58039

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Daw Mill Colliery & Ironbridge Power Station (Multiple Working) (Weathered)
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Daw Mill Colliery & Ironbridge Power Station (Multiple Working) (Weathered) 58002 58005

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Railfreight
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Railfreight 58048

Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Workshop Depot (Multiple Working) (Weathered)
Class 58 Diesel Electric Locomotive - Workshop Depot (Multiple Working) (Weathered) 58024 58037

Class 58 Diesel Freight Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Freight Locomotive 58001

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive 58050

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive 58033

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive (Weathered)
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive (Weathered) 58050

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Bassetlaw
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Bassetlaw 58034

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Manton Coillery (Weathered)
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Manton Coillery (Weathered) 58047

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Ratcliff Power Station (Weathered)
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Ratcliff Power Station (Weathered) 58041

Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Thoresby Colliery
Class 58 Diesel Locomotive - Thoresby Colliery 58046


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Database

11,328 yearly Items over 57 Years.
4,069 individual Items.
3,707 Models.
362 catalogued Train Sets.
156 Train Packs.
820 Steam Locomotives.
497 Diesel Locomotives.
1,082 Passenger Coaches.
1,152 Freight Wagons.


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